Table leg pivot and latch mechanism



Jan. 13, 1953 w 0, BROWN 2,625,454

TABLE LEG PIVOT AND LATCH MECHANISM Filed NOV. 16, 1949 INVENTOR. W417i 0. EAOWA/ BY MI'W Patented Jam 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABLE LEG PIVOT AND LATCH MECHANISM Walter 0. Brown, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 16, 1949, Serial No. 127,691

'7 Claims. (Cl. 31199) This invention relates to a foldable leg for furniture, such as for example, a table leg or a chair leg.

It is an object of this invention to produce a folding leg assembly for an article of furniture which is simple to operate and which, in the operative or upright position of the leg, is very rigid.

More specifically, the invention contemplates a bracket which is adapted to be secured to the under side of an article of furniture such as a table and a leg which is supported by the bracket so as to be pivotable and shiftable on the bracket. The bracket is formed with a central aperture through which the end of the leg is arranged to be inserted and a pair of depending flanges having bearing faces thereon which are arranged to engage the leg at circumferentially spaced points when the leg is pivoted to the upright operative position. The bearing surfaces are adapted to be brought into pressure contact with the leg by means of a handle provided with cam members, which when the handle is turned, are arranged to engage the flanges and clamp them on opposite sides of the leg.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of the foldable leg of this invention showing the leg in the collapsed position on the under side of a table top.

Figure 2 is a perspectiv view of the leg in the operative position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the leg and the table shown in Figure 1 with the leg in the operative position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along lines I-4 in Figure 3.

In the drawings, the leg assembly is shown attached to a table top It. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is applicable to any article of furniture for which foldable legs may be desirable. The leg assembly includes a supporting plate II which has a base portion I2 provided with apertures I3 through which screws may be driven for securing plate II to the under side of table II). Base I2 is centrally apertured as at I4, the aperture I4 being preferably defined by an upwardly projecting flange I5 which is received in a socket I6 formed on the under side of the table top [0 so as to properly locate plate I I with respect to top I0. Plate I I is formed with a pair of flanges I8 on opposite sides thereof which are bent inwardly and downwardly to provide a pair of supporting arms between which is supported a le 20.

Leg 20 is supported on plate II by a pin I9 2 which extends across and is journaled in flanges I8. Leg 20 is preferably of tubular section and is provided with a pair of slots 22 on diametrically opposite sides thereof through which pin I9 passes. Slots 22 extend longitudinally of leg 20 and are dimensioned so as to permit the leg to be shifted on pin [9 to a position where the upper end 23 of the leg is engaged within aperture 14. Slots 22 also permit leg 20 to be withdrawn from aperture [4 and pivoted to a position such as is shown in Figure 1, where the longitudinal axis of the leg is substantially parallel to the plane of base [2, which position shall be referred to as the inoperative position.

Adjacent their lower ends, each flange I8 is provided with a pair of inwardly struck ribs 25. Ribs 25 are spaced on opposite sides of a central rib portion 26 and are arranged to contact the wall of leg 29 at circumferentially spaced points when the central rib portions 26 of flanges I8 engage leg 20 at diametrically opposite points. Pin I9 has fixedly mounted at one end thereof a handle member 2'! and at the other end a knob 28. Handle 21 and knob 28 are each provided on their inner faces with an inwardly projecting cam in the form of a semi-spherical ball 39 which, when the handle is pivoted to a vertically extending position, are arranged to be brought into pressure contact with the central ribs 26 on each flange I8. At their lower ends flanges [8 are provided with integral side lugs 31 which extend towards each other and cooperate to form a stop which limits the pivotal movement of leg 20 in one direction to the upright position wherein the upper end 23 of the leg registers with aperture Hi.

When the leg 28 is disposed in the inoperative position shown in Figure 1 and it is desired to lock the leg in the upright position, the leg is shifted axially to a position where pin I9 is disposed at the upper end of slots 22. In this position, the leg may be pivoted downwardly around pin I9 to an upright position where the lugs 3| engage the outer surface of the leg. The leg may then be shifted upwardly in an axial direction to insert the upper end 23 thereof in aperture I I. End 23 is preferably of semi-spherical shape so that the danger of pinching ones fingers between the upper end of the leg and base I2 when the leg is pivoted to the upright position is minimized. The rounded end 23 also serves to guide the leg into aperture [4. In order to lock the leg in this upright position, handle 27 is turned from the released position, shown in Figure 1, to the vertical position shown in Figure 2. When the handle 21' is turned to the vertical position, cams 30 engage the central ribs 26 of flanges l8 so as to clamp the flanges against opposite sides of the leg. In a clamped position, it will be noted that each flange i8 is in pressure contact with leg 28 at three circumferentially spaced points, that is, at each rib 25 and the central rib 26. Cams 3% are spaced apart such that flanges [8 in the clamped position exert sufficient pressure against opposite sides of leg 29 to prevent the leg from being withdrawn from within aperture M and to prevent even slight movement of leg 2% within aperture Hi.

When it is desired to fold the leg from the upright position shown in Figures 2 and 3, to the collapsed or inoperative position shown in Figure 1, handle 2? is merely turned to release-cams 33 from engagement with the central ribs '26. The pressure exerted by flanges ii on leg 28 is "thereby released and the leg may be pulled downwardly out of aperture l and pivoted upwardly to the inoperative position. Flanges :8 are preferably .waced apart so that leg 2d fits snugly therebetween and the slight pressure exerted by the flanges on the leg is suflicient to retain the leg in the folded or inoperative position.

I claim:

1. lin combination, a leg member for an article of furniture, such as a table, a support adapted to support said leg member on the under side of the table, said support having an opening therein and including a clamp member comprising a pair of depending arms in substantial alignment with diametrically opposite wall portions of said opening, said leg being generally circular in cross section and having the upper end thereof positioned between said arms, means forming a pivotal and lost motion connection between said clamp and said leg comprising a slot in one of said members and a pin on the other member engaged within said slot, said leg being pivotable onsaid clamp from an inoperative position substantially in contact with the under side of the table to an upright operative position substantially perpendicular to said support, said slot permitting axial movement of said leg to permit the upper end of the leg to be inserted in said opening when the leg is disposed in said upright position, and a locking member pivoted on said support and arranged when turned to engage said clamp member, a cam on said locking member for bringing said arms into pressure contact with opposite sides of said leg when the locking member is turned into engagement with said saidcam being offset from the pivotal axis of said leg, the arm engageable by said cam having "a portion thereof struck inwardly towards saidother leg, said inwardly struck portion forming a "projection on the inner face of said arm and adjacent the side edge thereof, said projection being adapted to be brought into pressure contact with said leg at a point offset to one side of the pivotal axis of the leg, said cam on said locking member being disposed such that, when the locking member is pivoted, said cam traverses a path across said inwardly struck portion and engages the central portion of said arm adjacent said inwardly struck portion to bring said projection into pressure contact with said leg.

2. In combination, a leg for an article of turniture, such as a table, a supporting plate adapted to bemounted on the under side of the table and having a central opening therein, said supporting plate including a pair of depending arms in substantial alignment with diametrically opposite wall portions of said opening, said leg being generally circular in cross section and positioned with its upper end between said arms and having a pivotal and lost motion connection therewith, said connection permitting said leg to be pivoted to an upright position substantially perpendicular to said plate with the upper end of the leg registering with said opening, said connection also permitting said leg to be shifted axially so as to permit the upper end of the leg to be inserted within said opening when the leg is in said upright position and a cam means pivoted on said supporting plate and engageable with at least one of said arms for clamping said arms against opposite sides or" the leg when said cam means are actuated, said arms having at least two inwardly projecting bearing surfaces thereon disposed .on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said leg, said bearing surfaces being adapted to be brought into pressure contact with the leg.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said cam means comprises a lever pivoted on said arms on an axis which coincides with the pivotal axis of said leg, said lever having a projection thereon which, when the lever is turned, engages one of said arms so as to bring said hearing surfaces into pressure contact with the leg supported therebetween.

4. The combination set forth in claim2 wherein said cam means comprises a pin extending through said arms and said leg, said pin pivotally supporting said leg and having a lever fixed at each end thereof, said levers each having a projection thereon which, when one of the levers is turned, is arranged to engage the outer faces of said arms and thereby clamp the leg therebetween, said projections being disposed such that they engage said arms generally at the level or" said bearing surfaces.

5. In combination, a leg member for an article of furniture, such as a table, a support adapted to support the leg member on the underside of the table, said support having an opening therein and including a clamp member comprising a pair of depending arms in substantial alignment with diametrically opposite wall portions of said opening, said leg being generally circular in cross section and having the upper end thereof positioned between said arms, means forming a pivotal and lost-motion connection between said clamp and said leg, said leg being pivotable on said clamp from an inoperative position substantially parallel with the underside of the table to an upright operative position substantially perpendicular to said support, said leg also being axially movable to insert the upper end of the leg in said opening when said leg is disposed in said upright position, at least one of said arms being provided with a pair of inwardly projecting ribs disposed on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the leg, said ribs being adapted to be brought into pressure contact with the leg at points on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the leg, and a lever pivoted on said support and having a portion engageable with said last mentioned arm at a point adjacent said ribs for bringing said ribs into pressure contact with said leg.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said ribs are disposed adjacent the opposite side edges of said arm and define a central portion therebetween which is offset outwardly of said ribs, said inwardly projecting ribs and said outwardly offset central portion providing a cam surfaceengageable by said portion of said lever.

7. In combination, a leg member for an article of furniture, such as a table, a support adapted to support the leg member on the underside of the table, said support having an opening therein and including a clamp member comprising a pair of depending arms in substantial alignment with diametrically opposite wall portions of said opening, said leg being. generally circular in cross section and havingfthe upper end thereof positioned between sa'idarms, means forming a pivotal and lost-motion connection between said clamp and said leg; said leg being pivotable on said clamp from an inoperative position substantially parallel with the underside of the table to an upright operative position substantially perpendicular to said support, said leg also being axially movable to insert the upper end of the leg in said opening when said leg is disposed in said upright position, said arms each'being provided with a pair of inwardly projecting ribs disposed on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,007,817 Tandy Nov. 7, 1911 1,039,868 Whitney Oct. 1, 1912 1,063,642 Birdsall June 3, 1913 1,363,715 Brown Dec. 28, 1920 1,914,006 Brown June 13, 1933 2,493,389 Casey Jan. 3, 1950 

